[Coral-List] Coral Natural Products for Biofouling Control

[ron price]

-----Original Message-----
From: ron price [mailto:rrp at ccs.nrl.navy.mil] 
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 12:09 PM
To: 'coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov'
Subject: RE: Coral-List Digest, Vol 3, Issue 17

From: "craigdowns" craigdowns at envirtue.com

If you can elucidate the biochemical pathway or obtain the gene(s) to
the proprotein that creates these anti-microbial, anti-fungal,
anti-botanical compounds from coral, its possible that you could
encapsulate these polypetides into a nano-structure (capsule) to be
added to the paint instead of using something like TBT.  You would be
using the coral's own anti-foulant chemistry on your boat - and since
corals make it, there is a lower probability of toxic side affects on
the corals themselves (but that would have to be determined
experimentally).


You might want to look at the work of Dan Gerhard, Dan Ritchoff, Sr.
Avalon Mary, Ronald Price, Tony Clair et al who have done extensive work
with natural extracts and analogs from corals with great success since
the mid 80's.....Entrapment and release is a major part of this
work....with the first successful coatings produced around 91 albet from
extracts from octocorals.  

So far the methods have been to extract the compounds and try
traditional synthesis in the lab to scale up production, you just cannot
imagine how wonderful it would be to have a range of these compounds
that could be produced in quantity utilizing fermentation technology and
just how important it would be to the coatings industry in formulating
the next generation of coatings.....I'd love to work with anyone who is
thinking along these lines to develop a coating based on your novel
compounds.  

Those of us who do this work can use collaborators with new and novel
compounds to expand our library of effective agents,,,,

Keep in mind that the corals produce many of these as secondary
metabolites with a seemingly endless supply, those of us who formulate
the encapsulation systems and antifouling coatings must load all of the
repellent/toxicant at one go and it has to last for a minimum of 5-7
years to be useful. Activities in the pico-gram or nano-gram per mil
range would be best.....1 ug/ml/day at worst.

Glad to see more interest as we need some fresh thinking and a new
approach to solving production problems for these compounds.